Audrey Schaffer
Vice President of Strategy and Policy
Slingshot Aerospace
Audrey M. Schaffer is the Vice President of Strategy and Policy at Slingshot Aerospace, a leading space domain awareness company committed to accelerating space safety, sustainability, and security. In this role, she leverages her deep experience in the space industry to shape the company’s long-term strategy and influence U.S. and international space policies.
Before joining the private sector, Ms. Schaffer served in the U.S. government for over 15 years, holding positions in the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense, Department of State, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She most recently was the director for Space Policy on the National Security Council staff, where she advised the President, Vice President, and National Security Advisor of the United States on military, intelligence, civil, and commercial space policies and strategies.
During her time in government, Ms. Schaffer led DoD’s efforts to establish in law the U.S. Space Force as a new branch of the armed forces; established the U.S. policy to refrain from destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing; represented the United States in negotiating the first-ever United Nations guidelines for space sustainability; and drafted numerous national and departmental space policies and strategies, including guidance approved by the President.
Ms. Schaffer holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MA in International Science and Technology Policy from the George Washington University. She began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Department of the Air Force and is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service. She lives with her family in Washington, DC.
Related Sessions
Commercial Protection
Thursday, April 11, 2024
11:20 am - 12:00 pm
Track: Symposium Program